Mousetrap



May 24,1927. 1,630, 1

I S. MOUNTFORD MOUSETRAP Filed Dec. e, 1925 amoewfoi QZ L' flttouww 1 p. 4 g vwma Patented May 24, 19 27 UNITED 51 1-53 WILLIAM s. MOUNTFOBD, or nmvrou r, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR "ro WILLI M MoUsErRAna trap of the above character which will be simple and compact in structure, sensitive and reliable in its action, readily set, an d' which 'canvbe handled while in set orz open position without'likelihood'that the jaw of s the trap will be accidentally actuated.

discloses a preferred embodiment-of the .in g

Further. objects and advantages ofthe invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained whicl1,,taken in con-f nection with the accompanying drawings,

vention; such embodiment, however, is to be considered merely as illustrative ofits principle. In the drawings:

[Fig 1 .is a perspective View of a mouse f trap constructed'in accordance with the in i vention.

Fig. 2 'is a I sectional view taken .on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.- 1

' If a mouse trap be constructed so that the tripping member thereof is exposed or improperly related to the jaw, the trap is likely to be actuated unintentionally during handling or adjustment ofthe trap, particularly if a careful positioning of the tripping memher or location of the bait with reference thereto, is necessary.

I According to the present invention, a

housing or casing is employed, whichin the drawings is illustrated as of tr angular cross section, consisting ofbottom wall 1, side-- walls 2 land 3, front and'rear .wa-llsland 5,

and an entrance passage-way 6 ;the tripping 'member for the trap is located within the housing in such manner that as the -mouse passes through passage-way 6 thectrlpp ng member is displaced and thezj aw of the trap is actuated to move across the passageway andconfine the mouse agalnstrone wall there:

' of. As will a} pear'morel'clearlyas the description proceeds, the trap preferably is arranged so that manual adjustm'entof the tripping member, or careful location of the bait with regard thereto is unnecessary, and

therefore since such member is entirely with" in and protected by the housing, thetrap may be readily set or handled withoutflikelihood of its being sprung "accidentallyto injure the operator.

' In the illustrated embodiment, the jaw of the trap is in the form of a U-shaped lever 7,

partially surrounding the housing, and hav ing its ends 8qand9 pivoted respectively in Theobjects of the invention are to providetoward closed position.

'sequently thespring does not tend tom'ove Application filed necembera aasf Seria1,-No.6?8,30 g

the side Walls 2 and Sthereof. In openlor; 1 j j a f 1,630,241 1 TNT F CEe setposition ofthe trap, lever17 assumes the upper position shown in Figs. 1 andi2, from which position said, leverv moves downwardly across the entrance passageway 6 when the trap is sprung,

lfdesired, teeth 'lO may vbe provided in such wall, and also a iserrate d flange 11; may bei en'iployedso as to {impale the mouse upon sprung. Y

thusv confining the j, mouse r against the bottomwall of such passageway;

' such teeth or serrations 'when' lever 7 is; i The-tripping member the present instance consists of a plate 12 overlying-the] bott-om wall 1 of the housingadjacent entrance passage-way 6,; suchrplate beingcde-j pressed when the mouseenters the housing through 1 said passage-Way -6, and being so related to the jaw member that the latter is simultaneously caused to be moved to closed position. =.As 'shown theplate 12 is pivoted upon-the ends 8 and 9 .ofjlever 7, cars 13 and l i beingprovided for this purpose, and the end 9 of lever 7 is provided with an interior, f f

sov r a on plate 12. Thus whenthe plate isdew projection 15 which engages a shoulder '16 pressed shoulder 16 moves projection 15 rearivardly, and the jaw member 7 is started 7 v The jawmember'? s moved to closed position with a'snap action by means of a's pring 17 which in the present instance is tensioned. between projection 15 on the jaw and a fixed pointll8" (Fig. 2) in'the side wall?) of thei housing. lever 7 with the pivot-point ofsuch fleverfand' 'con-v the lever; however, 1n. all positions, except open position, the projection/15 is disposed rearwardly of pivot point'i), and thus spring 17 tends to move the'lev'er forwardly across entrance passage-way 6 with progressively J p 1 The housing ordinarily will bemade of increasing force.

sheet metal, such astin, and in use of the member, without any careful location lever 7 be moved to upright position, projection '15 will engage shoulder 16 on the It [will be noted thatywhen the 9Q I 1 in open position thepull of spring I 17 onprojection '15 is substantially" in line I to set position.

without danger of accidental displacement.

tripping mem'ber and lift the latterslightly Thus the trap may be set of thetripping member which would spring the jaw 7 against the fingers of the. operator.

The adjustment of thetrap maybe regulated as sensitively'as desired, by positioning lever 7 with the projection 15 in-line with or slightly to therear of pivot point 9, when asensitive adjustment is desired, or by positioiiing the projection slightly forwardly of'pi'vot point Qwheiraless sensitive adjustment is desired;

v I prefer to provide ja-sto'p to'engagethe f tripping member or jaw'member to insure the desired ad ustment thereo; when the.

v trap iscsettin the presentiform theii'orward edge? of the tripping member comes intoien I gagement with wall 4. of the housing when pull of spring 17 upon projectionrlfi of the lever-g7, is to ward pivot point 9, thus stop ping the partsin proper set position;

lever 7 is moved to such position that the iVhil e a specific embodimentof the inventionhas been described, It will be obvious that many changes may be made therein without departing from the principle of'the invention} as defined claims: ii

,liclaimz" I I J "t 1. A trap comprising a closed housing having an entrance passageway therein, a

tripping member disposed adjacent said passageway, a jaw member comprising a pivoted lever clear'of sa d-passageway when in open position and movable across said passageway to closed position, a spring urging said'jaw member; toward closed posit-ion when the aw member is in ntermediate and closed position but not when said meinbel lsin open position, said aw member and tripping member being provided with parts engaging to move the jaw'niemberto 'anin termedi'ate position when the tripping member is;-;disp1a ced, whereby thespringthen movesxthe aw member to closed position. 7 2. -A mouse trapcomprising' a housing, an

. entrance passageway" therein, a tripping memb er disposed adjacentsaid passageway gand'within said housing so. as to :be protectedby the, housing against actuation on'ali- .sidesexcept through said entrance passagein the following 7 way,.a spring-pressed jaw member clear of said passageway when in open position, and movable across said passageway to closed position, engaging parts being provided in connection with saidjaw member and tripping member whereby displacement, of the tripping member when the trap is inset po sition willniove the aw to permit the lat- I ter to pass across said entrancepassageway to closed position and wherebymovement of position.

member disposed adjacent said passagewa so as robe protectedQagainst; actuation "on all sides exceptthrough saidpassageway,a jaw member comprising a U-shaped' lever enclosing a portion ofthe exterior' oi the housing and having its endspivoted in opposite sides thereof, oneof thee'nds of said lever being provided with a'projectionwithin the housingzen'gaging said tripping member, whereby the lever is moved to an intermediate position when the tripping member is displaced, and a springwithin the lions ing positioned to urge ilIBlGVSFtO move'the latter across said entrance passagewaytd closed position when the-lever is in intermeposition, but not when- 111 011811 posig;

diate tion. I j 1 AJA mouse trap comprising a housing having an entrance "passagewaytherein 7. through one sidewall thereon-a jaw mem ber comprising a lever pivoted to the lions .ing and movable acrossjsaid entrance pas sageway to closed position, a plate pivoted in the housing and extending over the inte rior thereof adjacent-said passageway, said lever being provided with a projection with-Y in the housing engaging said plate whereby movement of "the plate will b e'ltransmitted to the lever,vand a spring engaging said projection exerting tension on the lever sub 5 i I stantially in the direction of itspivot'iwhen,

the lever is 'infopen position, but iniall other positions urging the lever to move -the" lever across "said entrance passageway to closed position.

WILLIAMS. M UNTFQRDQ; 

